Donald Trump rejected that idea on Wednesday His conduct on January 6, 2021, will cost him the support of Republican voters after a former supporter confronted him in a televised town hall and said he would not vote. Former President Because of his actions that day.
In his response to the Univision event, Trump distanced himself from the attack on the Capitol while downplaying the damage caused by a mob of his supporters.
“Nothing was done wrong,” Trump said in a lengthy response to a Republican voter in Florida who said he lost his vote because of the riots and his response to the Covid pandemic. Voters also questioned why he would support Trump when many high-ranking people in his administration, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are not supporting him this year.
Trump said only a “very small segment” did not support him. “But because it’s me, no one supports them, they get a little publicity,” he said.
“Vice President, I don’t agree with him on what he did. I completely disagree with him on what he did,” Trump said, pointing out the obvious. Pence's denial of fulfilling his demands prevented Congress from certifying Joe Biden's electoral victory on January 6.
He then argued that the thousands of supporters who came to Washington on January 6th were not there because of him, although he tweeted on December 19, 2020: “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Hang in there, it’s going to be crazy.”
“They didn’t come because of me,” Trump said Wednesday. “They came because of the elections. They thought the elections were fraudulent and that’s why they came.”
In 2020, and in the years since, Trump falsely claimed the election was stolen. who are many Accused of January 6 riots Cited his election lies.
On Wednesday, Trump described how some people who came to hear him speak outside the White House on Jan. 6 “went down to the Capitol.” Trump did not mention that he had asked them to do so and indicated that he would join them.
“Let’s walk to the Capitol and cheer on our brave senators, congressmen and women. And we're probably not going to root for some of them as much, because you're never going to take our country back weak, you have to show strength and you have to be strong,” he told the crowd January 6. “We are here to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count legally designated electors.”
He added, “I know everyone here will be marching to the Capitol building very soon to make their voice heard peacefully and patriotically.”
Trump, as he has done before, leaned in for his upcoming town hall remarks.
“I said 'peacefully and patriotically.' Nothing was done wrong,” he said in the town hall recording, which will air at 10 p.m. ET.
His lawyers also highlighted the “peaceful and patriotic” line of his fiery speech in federal court proceedings in Washington, where he is defending himself against accusations that he tried to illegally overturn the election results, including inciting an attack on the Capitol.
Prosecutors had a different view.
“The defendant deliberately summoned his supporters to Washington, D.C. to attempt to obstruct and obstruct the process, and then ordered them to march to the Capitol to pressure the Vice President and lawmakers to reject his valid credentials and instead rely on fraudulent election credentials,” the special counsel said. counter in a file on Wednesday
Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges against him in Washington and another election interference case in Georgia.
At the town hall, Trump also called on January 6, when protesters who delayed the counting of electoral votes for several hours, injured 140 police officers as “Love Day.”
“There were no weapons. We didn't have weapons. Others had weapons, but we had no weapons. And when I say we, these are the people who fell – it was a small percentage of the total that no one sees, no one sees. It doesn't seem like it, but it was a day of love.
Testimony before a House committee on January 6 indicated that Trump was aware that many in the crowd were armed with a variety of weapons before marching on the Capitol.
Among the protesters, Cristóvão Alberts was revealed to be carrying firearms, who was sentenced to seven years in prison; Marco Mazaque carried two weapons and was sentenced to five years in federal prison; And Cara Reformwho was sentenced to seven years in prison. Another accused awaiting trial fired his weapon According to prosecutors, the attack began twice in the air.
In an interview with Bloomberg According to editor-in-chief John Micklethwaite on Tuesday, Trump said the number of people visiting the Capitol was “very, very low,” putting the total number between 500 and 700. “None of those guys had a gun,” he says
He described the scene in his speech that day as one of “love and peace” and that some people went to the Capitol and many strange things happened.
More than 1,500 people have been charged in connection with the storming of the Capitol, according to the Justice Department. About 1,100 were convicted, with sentences ranging from a few days in prison to 22 years in federal prison.
Trump referred to the Jan. 6 protesters as “political prisoners.” “The hostage” and “Incredible Patriot” and said he would at least pardon “a large portion” of one of his first tasks in office when he was elected in November.
